A history of exposure to harsh physical discipline has been linked to negative outcomes for children, ranging from conduct disorder to depression and low self-esteem. The present study extends this work into adolescence, and examines the relationship of lifetime histories of harsh discipline to adolescents' internalizing and externalizing symptoms and to their developing capacities for establishing autonomy and relatedness in family interactions. Adolescent and parent reports of harsh discipline, independently coded observations of conflictual interactions, and adolescent reports of symptoms were obtained for 141 adolescents at age 16. Both parents' use of harsh discipline was related to greater adolescent depression and externalizing behavior, even when these effects were examined over and above the effects of other parenting measures known to account for these symptoms. Adolescents exposed to harsh discipline from mothers were also less likely to appear warm and engaged during an interaction task with their mothers. It is suggested that a history of harsh discipline is associated not only with social and emotional functioning, but also with the developmental task of autonomy and relatedness.One of the central debates within the literature on parenting behavior concerns the implications of harsh physical discipline. Although generally accepted that more serious forms of physical abuse are associated with negative outcomes, there is less consensus about the larger continuum of discipline behaviors. Some researchers believe that mild to moderate behaviors, such as spanking and slapping, are not harmful for children (Baumrind, Larzelere, & Cowan, 2002), whereas others argue these behaviors predict a more negative trajectory (Gershoff, 2002). Furthermore, there is little evidence about whether harsh parental discipline is associated with developmental progress during the adolescent years. To date, most studies have examined the behavioral and emotional sequelae of harsh punishment and physical abuse during childhood (Strassberg, Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 1994;Toth, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1992), rather than the developmental course as it unfolds in adolescence. The goal of this paper is twofold: to examine the links between harsh is parental discipline and developing autonomy and relatedness in the parent-adolescent NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript relationship, and to examine the relationship between harsh parental discipline and selected behavioral outcomes outside of the family context. This paper first focuses on difficulties in achieving a primary task of social development during adolescence, establishing autonomy while maintaining a sense of relatedness with parents, as a possible correlate of harsh physical discipline. Many contemporary theorists recognize this task as a defining aspect of the parent-adolescent relationship and a marker of healthy relationships into adulthood Silverberg & Gondoli, 1996). The ability to handle this challenge has been linked to high...

This study examined the dual roles of adolescents' perceptions of social acceptance and sociometric popularity in predicting relative changes over time in adolescents' social functioning. Observational, self-report, and peer report data were obtained from 164 adolescents who were interviewed at age 13 years and then again at age 14 years, as well as their same-sex close friends. Adolescents who felt positively about their own social standing fared well over time, regardless of their level of sociometric popularity. Further, low popularity was particularly problematic for adolescents who failed to see themselves as fitting in. Results suggest that during adolescence, when it becomes increasingly possible for teens to choose their own social niches, it is possible to be socially successful without being broadly popular.

Opinions of 789 community adults were individually assessed, using a video-clip of an actual armed robbery and other measures, to determine whether attitudes toward the culpability and appropriate punishment of young offenders were linked to offenders' age, race, and physical appearance. Three major findings emerged: (1) community adults endorse the view that criminal choices of young offenders are influenced by their developmental immaturity and attribute more responsibility for the criminal act as the actor gets older; (2) the public has a relatively strong preference for differential treatment of juvenile and adult offenders; and (3) attitudes about culpability and punishment are not influenced by the culprit's race, physical maturity, or appearance of "toughness." Indications that punitive public opinion toward youth crime may be changing and implications for juvenile justice policy of the study's findings are discussed.

The broader context of relational aggression in adolescent romantic relationships was assessed by considering the ways such aggression emerged from prior experiences of peer pressure and was linked to concurrent difficulties in psychosocial functioning. Longitudinal, multi-reporter data were obtained from 97 adolescents and their best friends at age 15 and from adolescents and their romantic partners at age 18. Teens' relational aggression and romantic partners' victimization were predicted from levels of best friends' pressuring behaviors toward teens in an observed interaction as well as from best friends' ratings of how much pressure teens experienced from their peer group. Romantic partner relational aggression and teen victimization were predicted by pressure from teens' peer group only. Adolescents' romantic relational aggression and victimization were also associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms and increased alcohol use. Results are discussed in terms of the connection of relational aggression in romantic relationships to the broader task of establishing autonomy with peers in psychosocial development.

We evaluated the effects of Bedsider.org—an online birth control support network—on unintended pregnancies among young women aged 18–29. Bedsider is the centerpiece of a comprehensive digital effort to encourage women to use birth control more consistently and effectively and consider using more effective forms of birth control over time. A sample of 2,284 women was randomly assigned to be exposed to Bedsider or to a control group (no exposure) condition. Women were surveyed throughout a 12-month period. Women in the Bedsider exposure group were less likely to have a pregnancy scare, an unintended pregnancy, or unprotected sex compared to the control group. Additionally, women in the Bedsider exposure group were more likely to use a more effective method of contraception over time compared to the control group. Future studies are needed to examine the dose–response relationship for exposure to Bedsider.org and for whom the intervention is most effective.